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Circular Quay CityRail or ferry. Immediately opposite Circular Quay on Alfred Street is an architectural gem, the sandstone and granite Customs House . First constructed in 1845 and redesigned in 1885 by the colonial architect James Barnet to give its current Classical Revival-style facade, the building was neglected for many years. However, over AU$20 million was spent on refurbishing the exterior and completely transforming the interior, allowing it to reopen as a cultural centre in 1999. The Centre for Contemporary Craft has its exhibition gallery, Object Galleries, on level 3 (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; free), displaying themed groupings and single shows of Australia's best artisans. On the ground floor, the Centre's retail outlet sells beautifully designed glass, ceramics, woodwork and jewellery, all labelled with the artisan and state of origin. On level 4, the City Exhibition Space (daily 9am-5pm; free) keeps pace with the sometimes bewildering development of Sydney with an up-to-the-minute 500:1 scale model of the city accompanied by history boards and video screens. If you're really interested in the city's modern architecture, the Sydney Architecture Walk leaves from here every Wednesday and Saturday (10am; 2hr 30min; $20; enquiries on tel 9565 2344). The Customs House is blessed with some good eateries: on the top floor Cafe Sydney , a contemporary brasserie, comes with wonderful Harbour Bridge views, while on the ground floor, take a coffee at Caffe Bianchi , or eat oysters and have a beer at Quay Bar , both with alfresco seating on Customs House Square.
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